DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang said that the absence of a genuine 1Malaysia mindset in the higher political echelons and the inability to treat all Malaysians equally will render Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak 's announcement of the new merit-based Public Service Department (PSD) scholarship an impossible dream.

The Ipoh Timor MP also expressed his scepticisms at whether the scholarship programme could be implemented next year.

lim kit siang and unity talks parliament pc 250609 02 "Firstly, some six years ago, Malaysians were promised a system of 'meritocracy' in the annual intake of university students. But it proved to be a 'fraudulent' meritocracy as there continues to be two university entrance examinations; the world-class two-year course STPM and the inferior one-year matriculation course," Lim (right) said.

He said that the problem is not with SPM students taking 12, 13 or 14 subjects but rather the SPM results are used as basis for the awarding of PSD scholarships.

This problem can be resolved by making the STPM or one common university entrance examination results as the sole basis for determining awards for the PSD scholarships.

"There must be one common university entrance examination - whether STPM or matriculation - coupled with a programme of positive affirmation to ensure that students from the socio-economic backward sector get special assistance to get universities places based on need and not race," he said.

Ensuring creme de la creme

"Najib's announcement of a new category of PSD scholarship based on "pure merit" has to be taken with a heavy pinch of salt after repeated disappointments with previous promises of meritocracy."

Lim questioned whether Najib can really ensure that from next year, 'the best of the best and the creme de la creme will be studying in Malaysian public universities, rather going overseas resulting in a serious national brain drain or to private universities?

He also said that if the BN government is serious about stemming the drop in standards at Malaysian public universities, the best lecturers and students must be recruited regardless of race or religion.

chinese school inconvenience 190104 jovial school children Lim said that the drop was best illustrated by the fact that Malaysian universities have fallen out of the Top 200 universities list.

"The real problem is whether Najib can convince Malaysians that his 1Malaysia is not just an empty slogan, good for a 'dance and a song' but a living and driving philosophy in all aspects of government policy," said Lim.

On another subject, Lim referred to Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin' s statement calling him a "borderline racist' for criticising the Umno-PAS Malay unity talks as going against the 1Malaysia concept.

"I think Khairy wanted to call Dr Mahathir Mohamad as a 'borderline racist' but dare not do so, and is using this to hit out at the former Prime Minister."

"Khairy's allegation that I am a 'borderline racist' is most laughable coming from one who had been very good at playing the role of a rabid racist. He made an uncalled-for attack on the Indian community during the Umno General Assembly in 2007 and his infamous outburst about the so-called marginalisation of the Malays in Penang."